Printers which respond to external digital data sources (e.g. a computer system) for printing documents on either continuous or individual paper forms are common in the prior art. These printers generally are designed with improved print speed or accuracy in mind. Some may even include hinged or otherwise movable multi-part housings to improve access for servicing and/or for paper engagement with driving mechanisms or the like. However, there is often a rather cumbersome access arrangement--especially where both individual sheets and continuous (i.e. "fan folded") documents must be accommodated by the same printing device. Typically, the approach has been to provide a continuous form tractor drive located above or generally at the same elevation as the printing platen (which may itself serve to drive single sheet forms through the print station). If such tractor drives have been mounted below the platen in the past, it is believed that access to them for paper loading has been extremely cumbersome.
Now, however, we have discovered an advantageous arrangement for placing the unsightly continuous form tractor drive out of the way below the printing platen--while simultaneously providing ready access for loading continuous form paper into it.
The exemplarly embodiment uses upper and lower printer housings which are hingedly connected toward the lower rear of the lower housing member. The paper drive and printing components are all affixed to the upper housing portion with the continuous form tractor drive depening therefrom such that, when the upper and lower housing portions are rotated to an opened position, there is ready access to the tractor drive for paper loading operations. Preferably, the upper and lower housings are also angularly configured with respect to one another at the rear so as to accommodate the rotational opening movement of the two housing members even though the rotational hinged connection point is not located at the parting line between the two housing structures but, rather, is located toward the lower rear portion of the lower housing member so as to obtain additional opened access space.
The lower housing typically includes an elongated slot for feeding continuous form paper upwardly therethrough and into the continuous form tractor drive mechanism which, in turn, drives the paper further upwardly into contact with the front side of a printing platen at a printing station before passing on out through an elongated exit slot in the upper portion of the upper housing. The same or another elongated opening is also provided in the upper housing (together with suitable paper guiding mechanism) for feeding single form sheets into the rear side of the platen and on around the bottom of the platen to the front side at the printing station and then out the paper exit slot in the upper housing.